The verdict in three sentences
A custom executive dashboard for a Senegalese group with 6 subsidiaries costs between 12 and 30 million FCFA excl. VAT in 2026 (about EUR 18,000 to 46,000), delivered in 3 to 4 months. Most of the budget goes into ERP connectors for each subsidiary and consolidation rules (intercompany, SYSCOHADA chart of accounts, adjustments), not into charts. The expected gain is concrete: monthly consolidation in 2 days instead of 10 and figures the CEO can check on mobile.
Where the budget goes: connectors before charts
In a typical Dakar group, construction runs on Sage 100, distribution on Odoo or a trading ERP, real estate on property management software, and one subsidiary still uses Excel. Each source needs a dedicated connector and a mapping table to the group chart of accounts.
| Item | Low range (FCFA excl. VAT) | High range (FCFA excl. VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping, KPIs, group chart of accounts | 1,200,000 | 2,500,000 | 2 to 3 weeks of workshops with the CFO |
| Sage 100 / Sage X3 connector | 1,800,000 | 4,000,000 | SQL database or API extraction |
| Odoo connector | 1,200,000 | 3,000,000 | Native XML-RPC API |
| Property software or standardised Excel connector | 900,000 | 2,500,000 | Controlled file upload |
| Data warehouse and consolidation rules | 3,000,000 | 7,500,000 | Intercompany eliminations, adjustments |
| Web and mobile dashboards | 2,400,000 | 6,000,000 | 15 to 40 KPIs, filters by subsidiary |
| Security, role-based access, two-factor auth | 900,000 | 2,000,000 | CEO, CFO, subsidiary heads |
| QA, training, go-live | 600,000 | 2,500,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Total | 12,000,000 | 30,000,000 | 3 to 4 months |
Custom build or off-the-shelf BI
Power BI or Looker Studio look cheaper, but licences are only part of the cost. Connections to local ERPs, SYSCOHADA consolidation and access rights still have to be built, often by a contractor.
| Criterion | Power BI + integrator | Custom dashboard | Current Excel consolidation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 upfront cost | 7 to 15 million FCFA | 12 to 30 million FCFA | 0 FCFA |
| Annual recurring cost | 2.5 to 5 million FCFA (Pro and Premium licences) | 1.8 to 4.5 million FCFA (hosting + maintenance) | Accounting team time |
| Monthly close time | 3 to 4 days | 2 days | 8 to 12 days |
| Automated intercompany consolidation | Partial, via scripts | Full | Manual |
| CEO mobile access | Yes, Power BI app | Yes, secure web app | No |
| Vendor lock-in | High | Source code handed to the group | None |
| Data hosting | Microsoft cloud outside Senegal | Your choice, including Dakar | Local PCs |
Hosting matters: Senegal's Law 2008-12 and the CDP regulate transfers of personal data outside the country. Aggregated financial data is less sensitive, but subsidiaries' HR and customer data must be handled carefully.
What the CEO actually sees
A good group dashboard fits on one screen: consolidated and per-subsidiary revenue against budget, gross margin, available cash by bank, receivables over 90 days, construction order book, real estate occupancy rate. Plan for 15 to 25 KPIs at launch, then about ten more in year one. Email or WhatsApp alerts (cash below a threshold, receivable past 120 days) are among the most used features.
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Mini case study
Mr Ndiaye, CFO of a Dakar group with 6 subsidiaries (construction, distribution, real estate), currently ties up 4 accountants for 10 working days every month to consolidate. Average fully loaded cost of a senior accountant in Dakar: about 700,000 FCFA per month, or 35,000 FCFA per day.
Before: 4 accountants x 10 days = 40 person-days per month, i.e. 1,400,000 FCFA. After: 4 x 2 days = 8 person-days, i.e. 280,000 FCFA. Saving: 1,120,000 FCFA per month, about 13.4 million FCFA per year. For a 20 million FCFA project with 3 million FCFA of annual recurring cost, payback comes in 23 months on accounting time alone, before counting the value of decisions made with figures at D+2 instead of D+10.
FAQ
Do subsidiaries need to change ERP? No, the dashboard plugs into existing systems. Only a subsidiary on Excel will need to adopt a standard file template, which takes 1 to 2 weeks.
How long until the first figures? A first dashboard covering 2 subsidiaries is live in 6 to 8 weeks. All 6 subsidiaries consolidated arrive in 3 to 4 months.
Is the data secure? Encryption in transit and at rest, two-factor authentication and role-based access are included. An external security audit adds 1.5 to 3 million FCFA.
Can we pay in instalments? Yes, the usual schedule is 40% at kickoff, 30% when connectors are delivered and 30% at go-live. Bank transfer, Wave or Orange Money are accepted.
What maintenance budget should we plan? Between 150,000 and 375,000 FCFA per month depending on the number of connectors and requested changes.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of subsidiaries, the ERPs in use and your 10 priority KPIs: we will send an estimate between 12 and 30 million FCFA excl. VAT with a 3 to 4 month schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
